Notes
Race #4 of the 2008 season took place with the 35th running of the Hospital Hill Half-Marathon from Kansas City. Temps at 7am were 79 degrees, 77% humidity, a dew point of 71 degrees, and winds from SSW at 14mph with gusting to 24mph. Not ideal conditions but the wind felt like a nice summer breeze and the temps didn’t feel oppressive so I honestly wasn’t worried about the conditions and still felt pretty good heading into the race. The strategy was to hang with the 1:50 pacer, drink water at miles 3, 6, 9 while walking through the aid stations and to suck down a Cliff Shot at mile 6 and mile 9. Stretch goal was 1:50 with a conservative goal being to break two hours.
Awoke at 5am, had a banana and a small glass of water. Made it to the starting corral without any issue. Felt confident and relaxed. Tried to take a second to enjoy the pre-race festivities and off we go.
Mile one – 8:36
I was out good and a dozen or so strides behind the two pacers. I remember thinking that I was sweating like a pig but didn’t make much of it. Apparently we circled the new Sprint Center arena but I noticed nothing.
Mile two – 8:30
Mile three – 8:27
A brutal stretch representing the largest climb of the race. Found it very difficult holding pace and it was somewhere during this stretch that I completely lost contact with the 1:50 pacers. Already abandoning my strategy to just take water during certain aid stations I gulped down two swallows of PowerAde at 1.5 and more water at 3. The aid stations are just a mess of people starting/stopping and running into each other. I made fun of Brian for having his own belt pack but I’m seriously considering getting one now. Projection = 1:51:30.
Mile four – 8:59
A nice attempted recovery mile that was all downhill. The aid station walk impacted this mile’s time. However the uphills taketh away much more than the downhills giveth. Projection = 1:53:00.
Mile five – 8:45
Mile six – 9:41
Another brutal hill and another aid station slowdown. Many, many people walking now. The wind was actually a blessing heading out as it felt great and I found myself hating the calm. My attempt to eat my Cliff Shot was a cluster. My hands were soaking wet so I couldn’t open the plastic thing plus I’m sure my mental capacity was declining rapidly. I finally got it open after many rips and bites but I wasted way too much effort for what should have been a simple exercise. I didn’t even attempt my next Shot. Projection = 1:55:40
Mile seven – 8:58
Mile eight – 9:22
Mile nine – 8:56
Mile ten – 9:38
If you take a look at the course map below, mile seven is where the course turns to start heading back and at mile eight we start running with the wind to our back. It’s not something I noticed at first but it was harder and harder staying cool. In the back of my mind I knew Broadway Hill was approaching and was mentally getting exhausted picturing that hill. Plus I was anticipating the 2 hour pacers passing me on the hill and was trying to convince myself to suck it up and stay with them. But mile ten is where the wheels started coming off. I was feeling a little dizzy and when the 2:00 pacers roared past me just before mile ten I knew it wasn’t my day. Projection = 1:57:45 (the pacers must have been told to run with a few minutes of cushion).
Mile eleven – 15:54
Crash. Walked almost the entire hill. Ugh. People that shout “You’re looking great….you can do it….you’re almost there…..way to go” while I’m walking are very annoying. I appreciate the effort but please. Stop.
Mile twelve – 9:17
Mile thirteen – 9:47
Mile 0.1 – 0:55
Final time – 2:05:45
Per Mile Pace – 9:36
Overall – 712/1815
Male – 485/990
Age – 78/177
http://results.active.com/pages/oneResult.jsp?pID=40159812&rsID=63043
Something to make me feel better: If I take my overall placement percentile and apply that to last year’s race I would have finished around 1:54 so a non-scientific testament to the tough conditions. A very humbling experience and while a PR should always be a positive it’s still pretty disappointing.
But I finished my first half-marathon on a tough course in non-ideal conditions so there’s something to be said for that. I’m taking it pretty easy this week as my left knee feels funny and unstable. Next race is the Racine Lighthouse Ten Miler a week from this Saturday.